Page 26 of Safe and Sound

A relieved breath whooshed out of him. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“Let me guess. He was fucking his secretary?”

“Actually, it was an eighteen-year-old in his history class.”

Wincing, he replied, “You didn’t see that one coming, huh?”

“I’m not Cassandra from the myths–I can’t foresee the future. I can just read people. Well, some people.” I wrinkled my nose. “Trust me, if I could have foreseen what was going to happen, I would’ve never married him.”

“How long were you together?”

“Five years.”

He shook his head. “You wasted all that time on a fucking fool.”

“Truthfully, not all of it was bad. There were some good years. I mean, I certainly wouldn’t do it again if I had the chance, but it could’ve been so much worse.

“I’m surprised you can see it that way.”

“Maybe it’s that wisdom comes with maturity. I sure wouldn’t have thought as much when I was younger.”

“You’re not old.”

“I'm older than you,” I teased.

“Not by much.”

“Somehow I can’t imagine you dating many older women.”

To my surprise, anguish flashed in Dare’s eyes. It was so out of character for him I couldn’t help wondering if there was an older woman in his past who had hurt him. The look was fleeting and quickly replaced by him slipping his usual carefree mask back in place.

“I’m an equal age opportunity lover,” he mused with a cocky smile.

I realized at that moment that I wanted nothing more than to strip away the layers to get the man Dare tried to hide. That man was someone I wanted to heal.

Hopping out of my chair, I held out my hand to him. “Come on. Let’s be young and dance.”

With a wink, he replied, “Your wish is my command.”

Chapter Six: Dare

Nothing about this evening or Ava was what I expected. For it to have started so fucked up with my nightmare and then my fight with Kellan, I couldn’t believe the positive turn it had taken. While I’d fully intended on finding some vapid co-ed to fuck in my office, I never imagined the gift of a real woman.

And despite knowing her for only an hour, one thing I knew for certain: Ava was real.

I was dancing with a smart, beautiful woman who wasn’t remotely intimidated by me.

That fact was a pleasant change. Few of the women I fucked or dated weren’t intimidated by me. They fed off my power and wealth. Being seen with me was an extension of how others perceived them.

While people would’ve characterized them as my arm candy, it meant way more to them than it did to me. My looks complimented their own vanity and pride. They didn’t want to get to know the real me anymore than I did them.

They used me as much as I used them.

But that wasn’t Ava.

After finding out I ownedBandia,she was still ready to walk away. If she was with me for any selfish reason, it was to embrace her post-divorce future. She was one of the most genuine women I’d ever met. Even in the short time I’d been with her, I could tell she was the real deal. There was nothing false about her–what you saw was what you got.

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